Sega Gamegear

The Game Gear is a portable color console released in 1990 and produced by Sega to compete with the Nintendo Game Boy launched the previous year. Hardware side, the Game Gear is so similar to the Master System that they even share much of the same game library, with the only noticeable difference being the screen resolution. With a simple accessory, the Master Gear Converter, the player can play directly with the Master System cartridges on the Game Gear.

Unfortunately, the Game Gear never got the expected success because of some important defects for a portable console:

Low autonomy, 4 hours use with 6 batteries

The fragility of the AC connector

A high price, almost double the Game Boy, price justified by the backlit color display. It was not until 1998 that Nintendo launches a color console, GameBoy Color, and until 2003 for a portable console backlit color, the Game Boy Advance SP.

Internal components are aging badly, including capacitors which lose their power, causing a loss of sound and of screen brightness.

In 2001, Majesco has launched the idea of relauching the production by acquiring the rights to reissue from Sega, but no further action was taken. In 2006, MEDIATRONIC launches Pocket Gear, a compact re-edition of the console, that didn’t need cartridges. It was coming with about twenty Game Gear and Master System games.